


Dare to Hope

by Scarpath



Series: Gaining Hope [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: And so is the OC, Character Death, Cursed Barrier, Depression, Gen, I promise, It wont always be so bad, Loosely based off of The Smallest Sans, Sans is downright depressed, Second Barrier AU, Small Monsters, Small Sans, There will actually be some fluff, honestly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-23
Updated: 2016-08-25
Packaged: 2018-06-04 02:11:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 12,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6636880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarpath/pseuds/Scarpath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sans had lost all hope at having a better future. Frisk was dead, and they were unable to reset. The monsters were almost completely drained of magic, leaving them a tiny mockery of their past selves. He was separated from his brother.<br/>But, perhaps the human that bought him at the Verity Monster Pet Store could give him hope. Maybe he could find his brother, and save the other monsters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prolouge

**Author's Note:**

> Be warned, this one starts with the feels train crashing hard. Really hard. And there is character death that is sadly very necessary to the story... Although maybe the amount of feels aren't... Nah, that's needed too. The fluff will be long in coming.

The barrier was broken. The human had finally done it. It took them reset after reset, but they had finally figured out how to break the barrier without dieing.

As Sans watched over the unconscious kid, the others all rushed over the the room that had once held the barrier. They had felt the bars to their prison snap, and they wanted to be sure that it was truly gone.

That was when Sans heard the cries of dismay. His heart sunk. Was it not broken? Were they still cursed to the Underground?

As he waited for the others to return, he watched over the kid, desperately hoping that he was wrong, that it was over and the kid would never feel the need to reset again. He didn’t think he could stand the thought of going through it all again, especially after being so close to the end.

He heard the kid groan, and gently patted their shoulder to try to wake them up.

“Hey kid, wake up. The others are worried about you.” The kid sat up in response, rubbing their eyes.

“Did it work?” They asked, hopefully.

“Let's go find out, huh? The others are waiting for us there.” Sans led the child to the other room, and the two stopped in their tracks when they saw it.

“Do you think we could still go through it?” Undyne asked quietly, referring to the new barrier that stood in front of them. It was clearer than the old one, allowing them to see through it to the surface.

Always the one to lead, she walked straight up to the barrier, and held her hand up to it. When she felt no resistance, she just walked right through it. The moment she was all the way past it, she suddenly started to scream. Magic poured off of her in waves, and she shrunk at the strain on her magic. And it just kept draining. Alphys ran forward, trying to support Undyne, only to suffer the same fate.

When they finally settled, no longer losing magic, they were maybe the height of Sans’ finger. The couple tried to re-enter the Underground, only to be stopped by the new barrier.

It was only one-way.

They were free, but the cost was too high.

Undyne tried to speak, but all that came out was a garbled noise, as she was unable to muster even the microscopic amount of magic it required to speak.

The next few hours were spent trying to find a way to break the new barrier. They threw attack after attack at it, only for them to be absorbed like it was nothing. Other monsters started to arrive, the news that the barrier had been broken having spread. None were let through the barrier, but they also helped to attack the new barrier, trying to test its limits. Even after the monsters had expended most of their energy, the “Draining Barrier” as they had taken to calling it was still unbroken.

Then the humans arrived on the other side. Where Undyne and Alphys were still recovering from having their magic sapped from them. The humans picked them up effortlessly, holding them up for inspection. They liked what they saw.

Asgore, enraged at the treatment of the two he almost considered his children, barged through the barrier without thinking.

It seemed that even being a boss monster wasn’t enough to save him from the draining effects of the barrier, and the humans were only more excited to see the process for themselves. They saw the hordes of monsters on the other side of the Draining Barrier, and their grins grew predatory. They seemed to call for more humans to come, and Sans could just barely hear them through the Draining Barrier.

“Hey Boss, you’ve got to send some guy over here, to Mt. Ebbot. We’ve just hit the jackpot! There are these weird monster things behind some sort of barrier, but get this. Every time one of them come through, it’s like they shrink. Like they are losing what keeps them together or something. They are so adorable, and seem to be harmless. We could sell them for a huge profit!”

Sans saw red. He summoned as many blasters as he could at once, and sent them all at the men. Not a single one got through. The humans had the nerve to laugh at him.

He started to huff at the excursion, and then realized the odd looks that all of the monsters were giving him.

“What? Can’t a guy get angry?” He said, trying to wave it off. The Underground responded by starting to shake.

“Oh come on.” He joked, before starting to look uneasy as the ground continued to shake. Parts of the wall started to crumble, and dust was raining down on them.

When the ground finally settled, the monsters were left with an uneasy truth. The Underground wasn’t safe anymore. The barrier had held the mountain up, even with the giant caves, and with it gone, the whole Underground was collapsing.

They had to leave. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, it seemed. From one prison to another.

Sans looked down at a tug on his sleeve. He looked down to see Frisk with watery eyes.

Right. The reset. Frisk could just reset, and it would all be fine. They could just never try to get to the surface again, or find a differ-

“I can’t reset. It won’t work.” Oh.

There was a crashing noise behind them, and they heard screams. A boulder had fallen from the roof, right into the middle of the crowd. Monsters were crumbling underneath it, creating a panic. They rushed for the exit, choosing an uncertain future over a certain death.

They only had to travel out of the initial clearing, humans waiting just out of sight of the barrier, and of the full sized monsters.

As they ran out, the humans were waiting, capturing them with ease. It was only when Frisk was revealed from behind a shrinking Toriel they paused.

“Stop!” The child shouted, gaining a pause from many of the other humans. “You don-”

Frisk was cut off when one of the humans grabbed them and started to walk off. Sans acted quickly, fighting through the pain of his transformation to cling to the child’s boots, effectively hiding.

The other human moved on quickly from the encounter, and in the rush to capture the inflow of monsters, some even forgot about the child completely.

Frisk was dragged to an area that held only a few humans, all dressed up in nice suits.

“Found a little rat in with the mice, sirs” The man said, his voice only serving to make Sans angry. He was too weak to do anything about it, though.

“That’s the kid that went missing a while back! They are already considered dead by the police, and the search for the body was put off ages ago.” Sans did not like what the man was insinuating.

“Kill it. I’d cause too many questions, and we can’t afford that if we are to make any profit off of this.” Sans definitely did not like where this was going. As he tried to muster up his magic, to do something, anything, to save Frisk, one of the men dragged them off into an isolated clearing, before taking out a handgun. The child struggled as hard as they could, but were unable to break free.

Sans couldn’t stand to watch, closing his eyes, feeling helpless. He couldn’t even save the kid he almost considered his own child. He hugged the kids leg, his sobs masked by their muffled screaming.

*BANG*

Frisk fell, the angle nearly squashing Sans. He tumbled out of the way, looking up to see the human walking away. The coward couldn’t even stick around to observe the consequences of his actions.

Sans ran over to their head. The kid met his eyes, tears streaming down both faces.

“I’m so sorry kid. I let you down, I couldn’t save you, even when I was right here. I couldn’t save you.” He sobbed clinging to their cheeks. A hand wrapped around him in what he assumed to be a hug.

“I love you Daddy. I’ll miss you.” The hand fell lax. Moments later, a soul drifted out of their chest. They were gone. They had finally called him daddy, and now his wonderful little adopted child was dead. There would be no resets, he would never see them again.

Suddenly, Sans fully understood Asgore’s oppressing hate of humans. But Sans refused to hate all of them. Even Asgore’s adopted child had been evil, but Frisk was the shining beacon that told Sans that not all human were evil. So he wouldn’t destroy all humans. No, he was going to kill every last one of the humans on the hill, he was going to get revenge for his sweet little Frisk.

Plan in mind, he reached for the small red soul that hovered above the child’s chest. As he absorbed it, he felt a rush of power. He convulsed under the power of the soul, but even as he felt himself growing stronger, he knew it wasn’t enough. He wouldn’t have even be able to hold a candle to the him from a day ago, much less against countless humans.

He collapsed against the chest of the cooling corpse. He felt like an utter failure. He couldn’t even save Frisk, nor could he avenge them. It was hopeless. He was only able to watch as his world crumble around him, even when it was supposed to be the best time of his life. They had finally broken the barrier after 10 separate resets. But it wasn’t enough. Now Frisk lay dead at his side, and he was too weak to do anything about it. No reset would come.

When the humans came back, they picked him up, moving him away and again all he was able to do was watch as they took the body, burying it at the base of a cliffside.

He was shoved in a cage with monsters he didn’t know. He was shipped to places he didn’t know. Eventually, he was dumped into a pet shop, to be adopted like some casual pet. He didn’t care. He just didn’t care anymore.


	2. Chapter 1: A New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So Sans becomes Sam.

Hope entered the Variety Monster Pet Store very excitedly. She had finally found an apartment that allowed pets, so she was finally able to get one. It had been three years since she had moved out of her parents place, and she was aching for a new pet. She figured she would just end up getting a cat, but she couldn’t deny that she was curious about the new ‘monsters’.

She looked around, amazed by the number of different types of monsters. She noticed some cat-like ones in the display in the center, only to huff when she saw that they costed $200, which was far more than she could afford.

She wandered around, observing pet after pet. She also looked into the other areas of the store, seeing what they had the supplies for. After a while, she finally saw one that caught her eye. He seemed somewhat out of place, a small skeleton in a pen full of fire puffs. But low and behold, there in the corner of the display there was a plaque that listed him at a reasonable $20.

She pulled over an employee, and was soon driving home with a small skeleton in her passenger seat. It didn’t take long for her to get home, and she was soon placed with a problem. She had been expecting to get a cat, but the skeleton seemed to be the type of pet you left in a tank.

“Hmm... What to do... I guess I could just leave you out, and only worry about buying a tank for you if you get too troublesome.” She hummed aloud. She liked to talk aloud to her pets, a habit her mother had found endearing,and never discouraged.

She set the cardboard carrier down on the windowsill, before carefully lifting the skeleton onto a cushion. He stared up to her, eliciting a small chuckle.

“What to name you...” She walked around, taking a moment to water the plants she kept around the house. She started humming, settling onto a recliner near the window. She reached over, stroking the skull of the skeleton. He shied away, only causing her to gently pick him up and set him on her lap.

“I think Sam will do as a name. Sounds a little human, but hey, you're a skeleton.” She continued to stroke Sam’s skull. He eventually calmed, settling onto her lap. He looked so adorable, and she didn’t regret buying the little thing at all.

Eventually, she stood up, gently setting the skeleton on her shoulder as she went around the house to make him a small nest in her room. As then started on some simple food, making a large amount of nachos. 

She ate the cheezy amazingness, before remembering what the care packet for Sam had said. She broke off a small chip, handing it to him. He took it without enthusiasm and seemed to grudge through eating it.

Dinner continued in this fashion. Hope would take a few bites of chips, then break off a bit and hand it to an unhappy Sam. She wondered why he seemed so unhappy about eating, before waving it off as being uncomfortable in his new home. She finished up the last of the chips before moving to her office and starting up the computer. 

She was very fortunate to have gotten the job she did. All she had to do was monitor the forums of a site for authors. Most of the posts were all right, and mostly all she had to do was move threads to the proper locations, helping the authors get the right attention. It was a simple job, and paid well. She was able to work from home, and also help others reach their dreams.

She was disturbed from her sleep by a small whimpering noise. She looked over to see Sam hiding his face in his knees, sobbing. She gave a small ‘huh?’ of surprise, completely baffled.

Her pet was crying. And not in a give my loves/ food way that she was used to from her cats, but instead in an almost... human way.

“Hey, it’s alright.” She said soothingly, trying to calm him down. He just tensed, as if expecting her to hurt him or something. Instead, she just picked him up, gently carrying the sobbing skeleton to the nest she had made earlier. He seemed to somewhat settle into the blanket, not fully calming, but at least doing better.

Hope had no idea what to do. He was crying, and she had no idea how to calm him down. Perhaps some comfort food? 

She went to the kitchen and pulled out some potatoes, and cutting them into strips. She then fried them and set them on a plate in the dining room, alongside some ketchup. She went back to her room and gently scooped up Sam, placing him on the table. He didn’t acknowledge her.

“Come on, Sam. I’ve cooked us some fries.” She then squirted some ketchup onto the plate. That got a reaction. Sam’s head shot up at the noise, and he got stars in his eyes as he looked at the ketchup. Hope looked from him to the ketchup and back. She then got a generous amount on a fry and offered it to him.

He grabbed the fry and devoured it, looking for all the world like he hadn’t just been bawling his eyes out. He looked at her with pleading eyes, and she chuckled as she handed him another fry. She hadn’t put ketchup on this one, however, and he didn’t take it, giving a pointed look at the sauce. This elicited a chuckle from Hope as she dipped the fry into the sauce and offered it to him again.

“I think we’ve just found a favorite food, haven't we?” She asked, as Sam ate the fry, seeming to savor the taste of the ketchup.

When they finished Sam took to staring at the window. He hardly reacted to being picked up, only casting Hope a sideways glance. She watched as he drifted asleep on the cushion, trying his best to keep the sky in sight even as he shut his eyes and slept.


	3. Ch. 2: Going Outside

Sans spent almost all of his time on the cushion by the window. He was either looking up at the endless sky, or thinking of Frisk and Papyrus. He could only hope that Papyrus had ended up in a nice place, and not...

He was jolted out of his thoughts by footsteps behind him.

“You really like that window, don’t you? Maybe I should look into a collar or something so I can take you outside.”

Sans looked at Hope with wide eyes, not sure whether to focus on the possibility of going outside, or of having a collar. Eventually, he just turned back to the window, this time wondering if Papyrus had a collar. The thought really annoyed him. Papyrus, chained up like some criminal. Like a pet.

The anger was better than the sadness. He could hold that back. But anytime he let himself dwell, the tears would start to build, and the human would worry. Would pay attention to him. He just wanted to be left alone.

He could feel the soul in his chest start to vibrate, as if to sooth him. It had the opposite effect, just reminding Sans of how big of a failure he was. He curled in on himself, as if to protect the soul from any harm that might come to it. He didn’t realize he was crying until the human crooned at him. He ignored the words they were saying, only tensing, waiting for her to realize that he wasn’t like the rest.

He knew that when the human found out that he was different than the other monsters, that he would probably die. That's what the humans did, they just killed anything that wasn’t exactly what they wanted. Like Frisk. Like the owner of the soul that throbbed in his chest, seeming just as sad as he was.

“You know what, little guy, I’m going to go buy you a harness and a leash. Maybe if I take you outside, you might cheer up” Sans was glad when the human left the house, finally giving him some peace.

He sat back, coaxing the little red soul to the surface of his chest. He gently caressed it, begging to murmur to it.

“Hey kid. I know you’ve been trying, but could you give me one more try? I just want you back. Please, just reset. It’ll all be better when you do. I can shake your hand with a whoopee cushion, and you can pretend to eat his pasta. We can hide the fact you’re a human, and I can adopt you. We can be happy again. As a family. Come on kid, I know you can do it.”

Sans’ voice cracked, betraying his emotion. He pushed the soul back into his chest and curled into a nap. He pretended that when he woke up, he would be at his post, Papyrus shouting at him to wake up, and Frisk would walk through the Ruin doors, safe and alive.

~~~~~

It was not Papyrus that awoke him, but instead the sound of the door opening and closing. The human walked in, reaching into a bag they held. When Sans saw what they had in their hand, his heart sunk.

A harness. Like what you would put on any other pet. He guessed that it was only inevitable that he would just end up like some sort of dog. He sat quietly as the blasted thing was put on him, begrudging whatever higher power thought it fun to torture him. A leash was connected to it, and he was placed in front of the door.

When the door opened, all grievances were forgotten. Even in a city, the surface was beautiful. The clouds billowed above, and the chilly wind was amazing on Sans’ bones. He looked around wide-eyed at all the bright colors displayed in windows. His human gently led him to a park, and Sans fell in love with the grass, feeling it under his tiny hands.

The trees were bright with color, in wonderful oranges and yellows. He snached a fallen leaf in his hands, holding it up in front of him. It was almost the same size as his reduced form, and he could see every ridge in it. Compared to the slim pine needles of the tree’s in Snowdin, the leaf was astounding. 

He held onto the leaf, even as the human started to lead him back to the apartment. When he tripped over it one too many times, the human picked him up, carrying him leaf and all. He took the opportunity to look up at the sky again. It seemed endless, like nothing he had ever seen in the Underground. 

When he was taken back inside, he was hit with just how kind it was of the human to take him out. She seemed to rarely leave the apartment from what he had seen in the last few days. And yet she had taken the time to allow him outside simply because he had stared through a window. Maybe she was like Frisk, a monster in a human body.

“Thank you.”

Hope paused in putting him down. He looked at her confused. He saw her shocked face. Then he realized.

He had said that aloud. He had spoken to a human. They would kill him for that. For not being a pet like he was supposed to. He was going to die, and Frisk’s soul would be lost. He shrank into himself in fear, knowing the fate to come.

“Did you just speak?” The human asked, and Sans flinched at her voice. “Hey, I’m not going to hurt you.”

“How am I supposed to believe that? I’m not what I’m supposed to be. You’ll just kill me for that.”

“Wha? No! I would never kill you for that.”

Sans glared at her. “I’ve seen it happen. Frisk coulda stood up for us, so they killed ‘em. Kid was like my own, and I couldn’t do a thing. If humans would kill one of their own, then what's to stop you from killing me.” Sans took a deep breath, and at a lack of response from the human, continued,

“It’s typical of you. Cram us underneath a mountain, and taunt us with a way out. Except when we finally break the barrier? We’re just met with a trap that drains our magic to such a high degree that we lose our ability to even think clearly. And to rub salt in the wound I’m forced to watch as the king is turned into a pet and Frisk is killed in front of my eyes. I-I couldn’t ev-even do a-a thing to pr-protect them. I co-couldn’t even ke-keep my prom-promise.” Sans heaved, wracked with sobs, his anger drained into his usual self deprecation.

He was surprised when the human clutched him to her chest.

“Ya, I guess most humans are like that. I’ll admit, I’m not the best of races. But I’m not like them. I would never hurt someone just because they were a bit different then they were supposed to be. I’ll be honest, the reason I rarely leave the apartment is because I have... Problems with people. If I were to kill you, then I might as well kill myself. Cause I’m broken.”

Sans looked up at Hope with tearful eyes. Hope moved, and before he tried to read her intent, Sans jumped. He hopped through a shortcut, landing on the table a good distance away. 

Hope looked around, confused. When she noticed Sans on the table, she made a disgruntled noise.

“How did you? You know what, never mind. I’m just going insane. That’s it. I’ve finally gone completely batty. Talking skeletons. That can teleport. By the way, what’s your name, if you have one?”

“Name’s Sans, Sans the skeleton.”


	4. Ch. 3: Missing him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Moss_Flowers on AO3. They gave an idea that made this a lot more interesting.

Sans only truly relaxed when the human left the room. He found it hard to trust them, even after her reassurance. Even Frisk had been hard to trust, and with them dead, he... He was done trusting humans.

Sans looked at the leaf he still held. It was a beautiful maple leaf, one he had seen in books that had fallen in the Underground. To him, this specific one represented a promise. Acer rubrum. The one he promised he would find with Papyrus as soon as they reached the surface. And now he held the lone leaf, himself like it: far from those he calls family.

Hope re-entered the room with a few cuts of fabric, only to see Sans clinging to the leaf like his life depended on it. He seemed to be holding back tears. When he saw her, he hid his face in the leaf.

“Hey, what's wrong? You always seem to be sad.” Hope asked, her voice soft and reassuring.

“We promised each other we would stay together. That we would go find the maple leaves together. This is his favorite color, I even made a scarf for him that was the exact color. 

“I just can’t keep my promises... And I hate making promises, only made them when I had too. Tori was like a mother to me, but I failed her. I wasn’t able to protect the kid like I promised. I told the kid that once we finally reached the surface I would adopt them. And instead I watched them die. I couldn’t do a thing to protect them.

“And I promised my brother that I would always be there with him. And I broke that, too. I don’t even know where he is. I-I don’t even know if he is... a-al-alv-” Sans’ voice cracked, and he broke off without finishing the last word. He couldn’t.

“What does he look like?” Hope asked, curious.

“I-I don’t want to think about it right now. Please.” Sans seemed to be scared of retaliation to his silence. Hope reached out to him and he flinched. She simply patted him on the head, before walking back and using the fabrics she had brought in to create a bed for Sans by the window.

After that, the next few days past in a quiet tension. Hope did her best to earn Sans’ trust, and Sans did his best to ignore her attempts.

“Do you want to go outside again? You would still have to wear the harness, and leash, unless I was holding you, then you’d only have to use the harness, even as horrible a-”

“I would like to go outside. Even with the harness.” Sans cut into Hope’s rambling. 

Sans sat very still when Hope clipped the harness on, and started to shake when she put on the leash. “Are you sure this is what you want?” She asked him softly. He nodded, stealing himself. When they stepped outside, he loosened up just a little.

The walk was mostly peaceful. When Sans started panting, worn out by the walk, he ended up on Hope’s shoulder, gaping at the area.

He was distracted by a growling nearby. A dog slunk out of an ally, approaching Hope. When she tried to wave it off, it just growled louder. She tried to back away, and something snapped. The dog rushed forward, and Sans reacted. A tiny blaster formed, and the dog yipped, falling back due to a burn on it’s nose.

Hope hurried back to the apartment, not wanting to risk the dog coming back for more. She called the police on her way back, letting them know of a dog with a foamy mouth. When she got to the apartment, she sunk into one of the chairs by the table, removing Sans’ harness with shaky hands.

“That dog probably had rabies. You know Sans, you probably just saved me a lot of time in the hospital. Thank you so much, Sans” Hope slunk her head in her hands, taking deep breaths to calm down.

Just as she was calming down, she heard a small thunk in front of her. She saw Sans on his hands and knees. He started to cough, spasming slightly. His coughing worsened, and soon he was vomiting. A deep purple substance spewed out, pooling beneath him.

After a few more moments of this, Sans was finally able to stop. He backed away, before curling in on himself. Hope quickly grabbed paper towels, cleaning the table and offering one to Sans. He uncurled, but only made a bad attempt to reach for the offered towel. She gently wiped him clean, only to jump when the strip of towel disappeared.

“Sans? Whats going on?” Hope’s voice trembled with worry and confusion.

“It’s a paradox. I shouldn’t have used my magic. I shouldn’t be able to use my magic.”

“What do you mean by that? Does it have to do with why you can talk while the other monsters can’t?” Hope’s worry morphed into confusion as it seemed like Sans would be alright.

“It’s human magic. I’ve got a human soul, and it gives me power over some aspects of time. I can talk as I could in the past. That part is simple. But when I blasted that dog, it caused a paradox. Even with a soul, I couldn’t summon a full sized blaster, but there is no point in time when I had a blaster that size. So the soul had to make it, and I got to experience a lovely paradox.”

“H-human soul? Is it that kid you were talking about?” When Sans nodded to confirm, Hope’s face fell. “That’s the only thing you have left of them, isn’t it?” Another nod.

Hope jumped when her phone started ringing. She fished it out of her pocket, answering.

“Hello? Oh, hey Dad, what is it?” As Hope listened, her face grew dark. “What? How could they? She worked there for years! Why did they fire her?” She struggled to keep calm. “I’ll be over tomorrow.”

Hope took a deep breath, turning to Sans. “My mom just got fired from her job. For being “Too overbearing”. Ugg, I’m starting to get why you don’t like humans. You’d think some of us never learned that kindness exists! I’m going to have to go to my parents tomorrow. You can come if you want.”

“I guess.” Sans acquiesced. 

Hope left to go make dinner. She didn’t notice Sans staring at her back, deep in thought.


	5. Ch. 4: Found

The ride to Hope’s parents house was spent very quietly. Sans spent the entire trip on the dashboard of the small car, staring at the passing landscape.

When they arrived, Hope gently lifted Sans onto her shoulder, lifting her hair out of the way. A quick knock on the door later, she was in her parents house.

“Hey Mom, it’s me.” She said, announcing her presence. “How are you feeling?”

“Oh, I’m alright. Was thinking about retiring anyways, this just sped up my choise by a few years. We called you out here because we are considering moving. There’s a nice plot of land up the mountain that we’ve had in the family for years.”

“Let’s go talk over in the park. The AC isn’t working well, so it is crazy in here.” Hope’s dad, a graying older man, commented. They all went outside, Hope quietly attaching the harness to Sans. He was still riding on her shoulder, so she didn’t bother with the leash.

The walk to the park was spent discussing the costs of removing the old house on the land, and whether it would be worth it to build a new one, or to just bring in a mobile. When they got there, they settled onto a bench in a quiet corner.

They were in the perfect spot to witness the conflict that happened only a few minutes later. A guy stumbled by in a drunken stagger, dragging something behind him. He fell near the benches, and it was revealed that the thing he was dragging was a somewhat large skeleton monster. He was struggling against the leash, seeming terrified.

“Pap?” The small shocked whisper near her ear was enough to spur Hope forward. She jumped forward just in time to prevent the man from backhanding the skeleton, gripping his wrist firmly.

“Outta my way!” The man drunkenly demanded, pulling on the leash harshly with his other hand. Papyrus was jerked forward, falling over and scratching bones on his knees that already held a disparaging amount of wounds.

“Sir, I must ask you not to harm your monster. I will call the animal patrol if I have to.” Hope held the air of someone who knew exactly what they were doing. The man stared at her for a moment, a slight fear in his eyes.

“If you care about that thing that much, you can have it! Thing is useless!” The man shoved the leash in her hand before staggering away. Hope glared after him with ill concealed hate in her eyes.

She scooped the monster into her hands. He was couple inches taller than Sans, maybe 8 inches to his 6. With a few gentle pokes, Hope surmised that he was in rough shape. His bones were riddled with cuts and scrapes. A particularly deep cut was slowly leaking red, a sign that it was deep enough to compromise the marrow.

Sans tumbled down off of her shoulder, sweeping Papyrus into a tight hug. The taller monster’s eyes widened. A grin spread wide, and he hugged his brother back, chittering comprehensively in joy. Sans shook, a motion Hope recognized as crying.

She hugged the pair close, turning to her parents. “Do you mind if we talk more later? I got some basic care stuff for skeletons when I bought the first one, and I’d like to see to my new one quickly.”

“Of course, dear. Let's get back then.” Her mother said softly. Hope hurried back to the car, setting the brothers on the passenger seat. They were still clinging to each other.

“Not the best of circumstances, but I am glad to have found you, Papyrus. Sans has missed you.” Papyrus’ gaze jumped to Hope. He chittered out a questioning noise, confused.

“I’ve got enough magic to speak.” Papyrus jumped back, holding Sans out at arm's length. “I-I absorbed the kid’s soul. I didn’t gain that much power, but at least I can talk.”

The two sat down, holding each other close. Never could Sans have imagined that he would see Papyrus again so soon.

“You know, it’s lucky Hope scared that guy off. I’ve been trying not to use my magic, but if he had stayed for any longer...” The lights in Sans’ sockets went dark. Papyrus just clung to Sans harder, whimpering slightly. “I won’t let anyone hurt you, bro. I’ve had enough with watching.”

The rest of the trip was spent in relative silence, and when they pulled up to her apartment, Hope was unsurprised to see both skeletons curled up asleep.

Hope gently woke them up, and as soon as she got inside, she removed the harness from Sans, and the collar from Papyrus. She was shocked when Papyrus started to chitter and shy away as she tried to remove the collar. It was then that she realized that the collar was tightened far past the needed amount. It had rubbed at the bone, and she had to be extremely careful removing it. The bone was leaking red from a few places, and as soon as she had peeled the entire thing away, Papyrus took a long moment to breathe. It had been so tight that it was choking him.

“Oh you poor thing. How could he do that? I’ve got to go get some disinfectant. It’s gonna hurt, but we can’t risk infection. That man is lucky he gave you over so easy. He would not have gotten off easy if I had actually had to call the animal patrol.”

Cleaning the wounds took a long time, as Hope had to gently scrape away bits of gravel and treat a nasty cut for a minor infection. The skeleton was obviously holding back sobs at the pain. The worst of the wounds were carefully wrapped before Hope finally released Papyrus to his nervous brother. Sans had tried to treat a few himself, but was unable to continue when Papyrus flinched away at the touch of the disinfectant. 

The pair were lifted into the small bed by the window, and fell asleep quickly, tucked into each other’s arms.

The worst of the storm had passed. Even if Sans still didn’t fully trust Hope yet, he still knew he was safe. He had Papyrus. If worst came to worst, he could teleport the two of them out. But for now, it was ok. He had Papyrus back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a full week for this chapter, but overall, I'm happy with it. Even if it changed a good 5 times before it got written...


	6. Ch. 5 Healing

For Papyrus, the recovery was rough. A thorough cleaning of his wounds revealed an infection on his arm, and three hairline fractures on his neck. The infection was, fortunately, easy to care for. Without veins to circulate his blood, they didn’t have to worry about it spreading. The fractures were another story altogether. 

The dressing had to be changed daily, a very painful experience for all involved. Hope had to be very careful not to jostle the bones, but still was unable to avoid causing some pain. He would start crying, which would set Sans off, too. Sans would pour healing magic over Papyrus, before ending up on Hope’s shoulder, burying his head in her hair.

When she finished, Sans would curl up with Papyrus, and the two would just sit quietly. On the third day, Hope took the two into the living room, settling in front of the TV screen. She brought up Youtube, then settled down to watch some videos.

Sign Language.

“I want to be able to talk with you, Papyrus. I figure sign language will work until we get you back your magic.” Papyrus looked towards her with a wide smile. He lifted his hand to his throat in an instinctive movement, then horror creeped into his expression.

He clicked his wrists, creating a chattering noise that Hope had come to associate with attempts to speak. He then tried to do the same with the bones in his neck, yet was only able to get a single sad clack.

“No!” Sans exclaimed. “You can’t?” Papyrus shook his head.

“What's wrong?” Hope’s voice rang with worry for her charge.

“He can’t move his vibrate vertebrae! It’s how we talk, we vibrate them to make the same noise that Pap has been doing with his wrists, then our magic translates it to speech. If he can’t vibrate them, then if we get his magic back, he won’t be able to speak!” Sans had started to panic. Papyrus reached out to hold his arm, clicking his wrist in a soothing tone.

“The bones will heal, won’t they? Don’t worry Sans, we’ll figure it out. He will be fine. Come on, let's learn sign language.”

Sans settled down unhappily. Hope was glad to see him immerse himself in the videos.

It seemed that Sans was exhausted by the healing magic he had used on Papyrus, falling asleep leaning on Hopes leg. Papyrus followed shortly, leaning against Sans. Hope spent the next few hours watching sign language videos, avoiding movement that might wake the boys. She, too, fell asleep, curled around her tiny charges.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sans woke to the surface beneath him shaking. He tiredly took in his surroundings, only to jump alert when he saw Hope’s expression. Her face was twisted in sleep, tears streaming from her eyes.

A nightmare.

Sans ran up to her face. “Hope! Hope, wake up!” He started to tug on her ear, and was rewarded with her slowly opening her eyes.

She was still breathing hard, but the feeling of Sans tugging on her ears was enough to calm her a little. Papyrus stood next to her face, one hand touching her cheek in concern.

“I’m fine. Just an old memory. Just a memory. J-just a-a mem-memory.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A (very) short chapter this week. I plan to update on Thursdays, and if I get a lot done in a week, then you can get an extra during the week.


	7. Ch 6: A Little More

As Papyrus got better, Hope got worse. It was if the nightmare triggered an avalanche. She was tired, yet afraid of sleep. She never slept in her bed anymore, never fell asleep willingly. She would keep herself busy online, or cleaning, or cooking. Eventually she would just collapse on a chair or the couch.

When she woke do to the inevitable nightmare, she would find herself under a blanket, Sans asleep somewhere near her. She would pick him up, holding him close as a lifeline. He never complained.

She didn’t talk about her nightmares. He never asked.

Papyrus rarely slept, instead building puzzles out of random office supplies. Hope would solve them when she woke up, and Sans would watch with fondness as she did.

Hope made Papyrus happy, and that was enough to finally earn Sans’ trust. And maybe a little more.

He hated to admit it, but he was starting to like her for more than just a friend or caretaker. He knew it wouldn’t work, so he didn’t tell her. Instead, he would use his magic to cover her with a blanket when she slept. He stayed near, always there when she needed him.

He finally broke and told Papyrus about it when she was on her computer in the other room.

“I really like her Paps. But I can’t even act on it! I’m so small, it wouldn’t work. And even if I wasn’t like this... Its not like I could protect her. I’m weak. I can’t even hold a single lousy promise. I’m broken. I’m useless. I wouldn’t be good for her, I’d just drag her down. B-but I can’t help it. I-I think... I love her, Pap.”

Papyrus reached out to comfort his brother, freezing when he heard a gasp behind him. Hope stood behind them, her eyes wide. “Sans?” She asked with a small voice. He flinched, hiding his head in his hands.

Hope circled around the counter, sitting in front of Sans. She reached out to him, gently pulling his hands down.

“Sans, there's nothing to be afraid of. We’ll get through this. Don’t hide from me.” He reached to the hand she held before him. She gently picks him up, cradling him close. His quiet sobs broke her heart. It was like when he spoke to her for the first time. He seemed so terrified, thinking she was going to hurt him.

“We’re going to fix this. We are going to get you back to your original sizes.” Hope gently picked Papyrus up, carrying her charges to the office.

“It’s about time we show the world that they aren't imagining things. That monsters are smart beings.” She spent hours creating a detailed forum, to help inform others. Her presence as a moderator on a creative writing board was able to bring others to the new on very quickly.

Some were disbelieving, thinking it to be a hoax. But others shared stories of their own ‘pets’. 

And it grew. Within days, it had thousands of participants. When she was revealed as the one who started the blog, she got offers from multiple reporters. She did her research, finally deciding to do an interview with the most refutable groups.

All that was left was to reveal Sans. The two of them had talked about it for hours, deciding just how much to share.

~*~

“Here with us today is Hope, the creator of the new popular forum about monsters. So Hope, we hear that you think monsters are actually sentient beings. What influenced this?” The host of the talk show they were featured, Carol, asked.

“Well you see, Carol, My friends here, Sans and Papyrus, are both capable of communication. And they aren’t the only monsters able to, either. They talk by sign language, writing, and many other forms. Why don’t you introduce yourselves, boys?”

‘My name is Papyrus.” The taller skeleton signed. Sans hesitated, looking up at Hope for reassurance. She nodded.

“I’m Sans.” Carol let out a gasp at Sans’ words.

“Oh my! You can speak?” She leaned forward, examining him. He shied away, hiding away in Hope’s jacket.

“Yes he can. You’ll have to understand if he doesn’t talk much. He has had reason to fear sharing his voice.” Hope said, casually moving her arm in front of Sans to help him feel safer.

“Oh no, what could cause someone to fear speaking?” The talk host’s tone caused Hope to stiffen. She didn’t like the thought of someone pushing into Sans’ past.

“Unfortunately, that story is not suitable to be shared over public television. I will say this though, Mon-Co will soon be finding themselves at the end of a very unpleasant lawsuit.” Hope had a fire in her eyes, as she stared straight at the camera. Her look promised retribution.

“How did you end up with these two?” Carol asked, sensing the mood.

“I purchased Sans at my local pet store. Papyrus however, was in a much worse state. He had an abusive owner. I was about to call the authorities when he handed Papyrus over. He was in such a bad state that I felt it more important to get his wounds treated. He nearly didn’t survive his wounds.” Hope’s expression went dark as she thought about the infection that had been present in the innocent skeletons arm.

“I’ve read many stories about people learning about your monsters on your forum. What do you think about these tales?” Carol supplied, almost seeming nervous after having had her topics end on such sour notes.

“Oh! I think one of the most amazing stories I read was about a monster named Alphys. Her owner, who goes by Mossy Flowers online, adopted her even though she didn’t lizard care very well. They found a way to work together and give Alphys better care. It’s really sweet how the two seem to have bonded.” Hope brightened. Sans watched from his vantage point behind her arm, his heart melting at her happy expression.

“Oh, and a couple was able to reconnect through the forum. They had been separated in the shops. The two, who went by 01 and 02, were so happy to be able to talk with each other.”

“It seems you really have done a favor for monsters. I’m glad to have had you here today.” Carol said, closing the interview with a few pleasantries.

Hope barely made it to the car before Sans broke down. He clung to Hope, shaking and sobbing. Knowing it was due to his fear of speaking, Hope merely held him close, giving the closest thing she could to a hug.

The drive back was spent with him on her shoulder, hiding in her hair. Papyrus watched from the passenger seat, almost amazed at how well Sans had coped during the interview.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know whats frustrating? Fanfiction.net. I got twice as many reviews there than I got comments here, and I couldn't even read them until Tuesday. AO3 has officially become my may fanfiction site.


	8. That AN that no one asked for

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys

Hey guys. Sadly, this isn't an update. I'm not sure when I will be able to update, but I have a feeling it won't be this week.

I'm having some issues with depression, and my family won't see eye to eye with me. I'm already banned from the computer, and will probably be kicked off my phone soon too. Because apparently, taking a depressed persons coping methods helps.

Hopefully by the time I post the next chapter, my issues might be getting taken care of instead of pushed away again.


	9. Ch 7: Justice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry the update took so long. Went on vacation to places with little service, and little time to write. Spent a lot of time with my extended family.

Hope found herself glad she had decided to help her parents get settled before she started the lawsuit against Mon-Co. As she stood before an angry associate, with a very upset Sans on her shoulder, her anger grew. She was about to shout some angry loud complaints, Sans spoke up with a soft murmur.

“Don’t make a fuss. Accept it and move on. If your law system is anything like I think it is, then I have a plan” Hope’s complaints died in her throat. She took a deep breath. She trusted Sans. He wouldn’t lead her wrong. Even if it meant turning away from the men that overstepped their bounds.

“I guess you must be right, sirs. It seemed that my ancestors must have sold the land at some point. I’ll stop bothering you then.” Hope said to the men in front of her, her voice sickly-sweet.

She turned, walking away from her summer home, trying to pretend she wasn’t about ready to storm the place. Away from the men that denied her parents the ability to retire peacefully.

The moment they were out of eyeshot, Sans started to shake. When the got into the car, he let out a frustrated, wordless, shout.

“That’s where they killed Frisk. That’s where they killed my child.”

Hope ripped her phone out of her pocket, shakely dialing 911.

“911, What's your emergency?”

“I’ve got a friend here with me by the base of Mt. Ebbot who says he saw the murder of the missing child Frisk. Unfortunately, it seems to line up. I have a summer home on the mountain, but Mon-Co claims that the land belongs to them. We got harassed by security until we left the premise. The address is 143 W. Ebbot Drive.” Hope spewed information as fast as she could, hoping that someone would come to investigate before the scene was completely wiped.

Fortunately, some cops were sent to get there quickly. The few minutes spent waiting for the cops to arrive were spent with Sans clutched tightly to Hope’s chest, trying to calm him down. Papyrus was on Hope’s lap, a hand extended to Sans’ leg. It only changed his emotion to anger instead of fear.

“First they take our magic. Then they take Frisk. Then they take your home... What else do they think they can take! I won’t let them! I won’t sit aside anymore. I’m going to protect you Hope. My size doesn’t matter. None of it does!” Sans looked up during his speech to reveal that one eye lost it’s light while the other was lit with a bright light that flashed from blue to orange and back again.

His speech stirred something in Hope. Something deep and primal. If he wanted to protect her, then good. She would need someone by her side. For she would get justice for him, for the monsters, for Frisk. No, justice wasn’t the right word. She would bring retribution. She would bring them down, show them the full judgment of the karma they deserve.

“Your eyes...” Papyrus said softly. Confused, Hope pulled down the sun flap in her car and looked in the mirror. Her eyes were a deep almost purple pink, glowing with anger. Literally glowing.

“Wow...”

She was broken out of her revery by the police cars pulling up beside her.

“Are you Hope Terrafin?” Hope nodded.

“Do you have any evidence for us. We will need a warrant to search the land.” The cop seemed casual, but the stiffness of her posture showed an underlying tension.

“Even better. I have the deed to the land and house. My parents want to move in completely, so when Mon-Co denied access to the land, I made sure that the land was still under our name. They are occupying land that belongs to my family, and I would ask that you would help survey the land under suspicion of a crime.”

The officer nodded, and with a skeleton on each shoulder, they set off.

“Excuse me, ma’ams, I must ask that you not come farther up the mountain, as this is Mon-Co property.” A rapid fire conversation sprung up between the officer and security guard. 

As the guard was told off, Hope looked at Sans. He pointed a shaky hand up the path that you used to chase your dog on. The moment the guard moved out of the way, she started off. She walked with the certainty that came from years spent playing in an area.

Her stomach flopped when she reached a small plateau. There was a mound of soil that was freshly disturbed, with maybe a single rain or two to smooth it out. Shoving aside some of the dirt revealed a horrible stench. Hope backed away, stopping far before she even revealed the body.

“Oh my gosh. I used to play here all the time. Oh-” Hope broke off, rushing to the side of the clearing. Sans and Papyrus were nearly knocked off her shoulders when she knelt and vomited. The officer called in backup.

After a few short questions, Hope went to the house, collapsing on a chair at the table. She gently set the boys in front of her.

“ _Why did they do that to Frisk? Frisk was so kind.”_ Papyrus signed, tears in his eyes.

“You know, humans like to think well about themselves. They’ve got this word they use to describe the ‘good’ bits of humans. ‘Humanity’. It’s supposed to represent humans in a good way, to be what we are all the way down in our core, our soul. But I’m starting to wonder if humanity is a positive thing at all. Sometimes it seems like there are so many _more_ evil humans than good ones. Humanity sucks, you know?” Hope paused her monologue to wipe tears from her face. When she lowered her hand back to the table, Sans leaned into it. She could feel slight wetness near where his eyes were. 

He was crying.

“How far up the mountain does your family’s land reach?” He asked, voice somewhat muffled by Hope’s hand.

“About two thirds of the way up. Why?”

“Can we go up there?”

Hope nodded, gently picking the brothers up again. She cradled them near her heart instead of on her shoulder like before. She prodded at Sans, but any questions were met with ‘keep going’ or just ‘please.’

“There it is...”

The world seemed to... distort in front of them. Hope could _feel_ the power coming off of it. It was overwhelming, causing her to fall to her knees. Papyrus shook in her hold, pressing into her like a child. 

Sans however, hopped out of her hold, taking small steps forward. He slowly raised his hand to the powerful wall. The moment his hand hit the wall, he shook. At first, Hope thought that he was just being emotional, but as he started to glow, she realized that something was very wrong. He atarted to keen, a noise that was somewhat high pitched and tense.

Then, he started to _grow_. His keening turned louder and deeper, devoloping into a loud, hourse shout. Magic from the barrier gathered into the spot his hand lay, before pooling into him.

Mere moments after he raised his hand, he fell to the ground limp. When Hope pushed herself forward, she found that she couldn’t pick Sans up like she had before.

Sans was back to his normal size.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the plot thickens. This chapter is part of why this isn't in the bittybones AU. Only one problem... I need a name for this AU. Do you guys have any suggestions?


	10. Ch. 8: Overfilled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm fully back from vacation now, so I think this'll be the last one posted on a different day than Thursday for a while.

Hope had to wade through what felt like pure power to reach Sans’ side. She was able to pick him up easily due to his light skeletal stature. She than backed away as quickly as she could without dropping him. The moment she could, she turned tail and ran.

Her arms started to sting, and she looked down to see Sans still glowing. The color had settled into a mixture of yellow and blue. Where the colors met, they formed a strange pink instead of the more natural green.

The same pink that Hope’s eyes had flashed earlier in the car.

She all but dropped him on the guest bed, wincing when she saw how red her arms were. There were a few spots where blood was pooling out of light scratches. Her hair was tender from where Papyrus had clung tight so as to not fall as she ran. All in all, she felt horrible.

She pulled a chair in from the kitchen and sat next to Sans. She reached out, only to pull back when the magic pulsing around him gathered beneath her hand with a painful tension. Papyrus crawled off of her, getting as close to Sans as he could without getting hurt.

They stayed like that for a long time, Papyrus on the corner of Sans’ pillow and Hope asleep with her head rested on the edge of the bed. Her arms were rested very carefully, wrapped in a pair of old blankets. She was woken by the sound of choked sobs, looking up to see Sans with tear tracks running from his eye sockets.

“Sans!” 

“Hope...” He he cried, his voice laced with pain and... defeat. “It hurts.” His hands were fisted into the blanket beneath him, and his eyes clenched shut.

“Sans...” She said softly. Her voice was laden with emotion. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Where's Papyrus? I ne- I need him.” His voice cracked with pain.

“By your head. He’s been there the whole time.” Sans nodded before taking a deep breath.

With visual effort, Sans started to gather the magic swarmed around him into a single point on his chest. It went from the mixed yellow and blue into an angry purple. Sans lifted his arms to grasp at the magic, and it seemed to change under his touch. The blue pulled away again, leaving the yellow.

“Papyrus. I need you to touch me. I think I know the best way to fix this.” Two small, bony hands rested gently on Sans’ skull. Instantly, something seemed to change in the yellow half of the magic. It darkened, and with a push of effort, started to flow towards Papyrus, the blue not far behind. The closer the yellow got to him, the more orange it became. Somehow, Hope knew that way the color that suited Papyrus the most.

As the magic came closer to Papyrus, he tensed in preparation, slightly turning away in fear. When it made contact, he was lit with a pulse of dancing orange and blue. It only lasted a moment, before dieing down with hardly a sign of it having ever happened.

With the magic no longer surrounding him, Sans relaxed back into the sheets with a sigh. 

“Wow.” Papyrus jolted at the word, raising his hand to his mouth. “Wh-What?” Despite the lack of physical changes, the magic was enough to allow Papyrus to talk again.

Overwhelmed, Hope leaned forward and scooped Sans up into a gentle hug. Her shoulders shook, betraying her tears to Sans. He sat up in her hold, wrapping his arms around her. His confusion at the blankets wrapped around her arms quickly morphed into worry as he saw her wince at a slight tug on said blankets. He pushed her back at the shoulders and lightly unwrapped one of the blankets.

He sucked in a tight breath at the wounds underneath. “Did I...?” He asked, slightly horrified.

“I couldn’t leave you there, magic or no. It doesn’t hurt too much.” Sans ghosted his hand across her arm, and the soft gasp of pain revealed that she was very much so lying about the pain. Sans’ face fell, a look of pure regret taking place. A choked sob escaped him as he removed the blanket on the other arm, revealing the same grisly sight as the other. Her dark blue shirt was tinted purple, a clear sign that the wounds crossed her chest.

Sans gently pushed Hope into a sitting position on the bed. He put his hands on her shoulders and closed his eyes in concentration. The blues and yellows of his magic became visible again, but when they met, they didn’t form the same pink as before. This time they formed a dark green that gently washed over Hope. She gasped in shock as a warm, comforting feeling settled over her wounds.

The angry red tone faded to a soft pink, and the scratches lightened and sealed into scabs that could have been left by an angry kitten. Sans drifted forward, landing in Hope’s lap asleep.

“Oh, Sans... Thank you.” She said, shifting him into a more comfortable position. 

Papyrus chose that moment to make himself known, climbing off the pillow. “I was so afraid... Whatever that magic was, it _hurt_ when he pushed it off onto me. I can’t imagine what it must have felt like to him. It was enough magic that I can speak, but he had enough to return to his normal size... I almost lost my brother...”

Papyrus climbed onto his brother’s chest, clinging onto his shirt as if to remind himself that Sans _had_ survived. Hope merely leaned back against the headboard of the bed, Sans using her lap as a pillow. She was sure they made a sad sight, but at this point, she didn’t care anymore. Her boys were safe and that’s all that mattered to her.

Hope gently pulled Sans onto the pillow, securing him under the blankets. She knew she should go into the other bedroom, and yet she found herself snuggling against Sans.

She didn't want to leave him. Or Papyrus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was this chapter noticeably better? I tried something new while writing, and only wanna keep doing it that way if it actually made it better XP


	11. Ch 9: Old Wounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope and Sans have a heart to heart.

Warm. Safe. Those were what Hope felt when she woke up. For the first time in a few days, she had woken up without help from a nightmare.

The reason? She was holding a skeleton to her. And he was hugging her back. And he looked quite adorable with his skull pressed to her heart.

She was perfectly content to stay like she was, so when he woke only a few minutes later, she was almost disappointed. Not fully awake, he nuzzled into her chest. The moment his ear brushed over her heart, however, he stopped completely. He listened to her heartbeat, an expression of confusion blooming on his face.

“That’s my heart. It has been beating since before I was born, and will beat until I die.” Hope said, lifting a hand to stroke the other side of Sans’ soul.

“It’s so strong...” Sans murmured, causing Hope to let out a sad sigh.

“It’s the strongest part of the human body. We tend to associate strong feelings to it. They say that when someone you love hurts you, they break your heart. It feels like the world has stopped, like nothing could ever be right again...” Hope took a deep breath before adding, “I need to tell you something. I should have told you before, but... I guess I was trying to live up to my name. Hope that it wasn’t true.”

Hope sat up, leaning against the wall with her legs drawn up to her chin. “I used to be married. It was wonderful, we loved eachother so much. But when our child was six, things started to go wrong. They were born as a girl, but they decided that they wanted to be non-binary. I’ll admit, I didn’t like it one bit. I talked it out with them for hours, though, and we decided that I’d support them.

“My husband however... When he learned of it, he got very angry. He refused to even let them try to be non-binary. He replaced of of their pants with skirts. Called them Emily instead of their long time nickname of Lee.

“It led to fights between us. Eventually, I felt like he was going much too far. I filed a divorce against him. It was agreed that I would have Lee for the summer and breaks. I would come up here to live during my time with them. They hated the city because _he_ lived there. They asked me to call them a name that wasn’t related to their birth name at all. And then, about eight months ago, on the last day before they had to go back to their father, they disappeared.

“They left a note saying that they were climbing farther up the mountain. Around here... that means that they probably went to die. T-The top of the mmo-mount is a common suicide spot, because anyone that climbs too far up... Is never seen again.

“Except that they were found again. L-last night, we found my dear Frisk.” 

Hope started to sob, the sound muffled by the hands she held over her mouth. Sans sat up across from her, pulling her hands away from her face. He placed them on his chest, before drawing them back again. A small red heart came out of his chest, with a white upside-down right behind it. Hope stared at it like the monsters had stared at the sun when they first saw it.

“They refused to talk about almost everything from before they fell. The only thing they would talk about was you. They would talk about how you would stick up for those close to you, even if you didn’t agree with what they thought. They taught every monster an important lesson. Don’t judge someone by the people that came before them. They taught us to forgive humans, because how could any race be all bad if they produced such a kind person. Such a perfect soul.”

Sans pushed the soul back into himself, before crawling to lean on the wall next to Hope. “The way that they were so sure about their identity was an inspiration to so many people. Due to the way monster reproduction works, some monsters are born without any gender at all. These monsters are forced to pick which they want to be at a young age, and are forced under that gender for their entire life. Frisk changed that. Mettaton was able to reveal that he was transgender. He had abandoned his cousin so he could keep the image of a guy, but thanks to Frisk, he was able to reconnect with Napstablook.

“Papyrus feels similar to how Frisk did, and finally was able to gather up the courage to tell me. Undyne started to go out with a girl she really liked, despite having identified as a girl when she was young. Oh, and Napstablook finally stopped getting harassed about being non-binary, and has even gotten some more self-confidence.”

“I guess what I’m trying to say, “Sans finished, “Is thank you. The way you supported Frisk’s choice really helped a lot of people’s lives.”

Sans held his right hand in front of him, seeming to examine it. He then felt at the bone around his eye. Tears started to stream down his face.

“Even now, they are helping improve a life. Usually when a monster absorbs a human soul, they gain unsurmounted power. In my case, however... Its given me life itself. I was born with a magic-soul disorder. It prevented my magic from circulating through my body properly. In recent years, no new magic has entered my body at all, resting completely in my soul. And monster bodies are made of magic. I had maybe a year left to live before Frisk fell into the underground.”

“He was almost dust” Papyrus said from the pillow, surprising Hope enough that she jumped.

“Dust?” She asked, confused.

“When a monster dies, they turn to dust. Most of our bodies are made of magic, so when we die, all that is left is the few physical bits that we have. I’d... I’d already lost the past two fingers on my right hand, and half of that foot. And my eye was horrible. Not blind, exactly, instead I got weird visions at times. I’ve seen things that... I wish I ever knew.” Sans’ eyes were dark, not a hint of the usually cheerful white pricks.

“What sort of visions?” Hope asked warily.

“My magic is that of space and... Time. I saw so many timelines overlapping. Ones where I knew a human had fallen, but only saw them as they were killed by my best friend. Ones where _they_ killed my best friend. So many where they died. I had to protect them from so many things. A-and I had to watch one where Frisk got away from those men alive, knowing that I wasn’t as strong as the other me. I wasn’t strong enough to save your child, and yet I saw them walk away with just a scratch on the arm because that other me wasn’t so horribly PATHETIC.” Sans shouted out the last word.

Sans’ hands rose to scratch at his skull. “And it’s driving me insane.” He whispered, starting to sob. Hope pulled him into a gentle hug.

“It’s alright Sans. You did your best. I don’t blame you. You didn’t ask to burdened like this. Let me protect you, let it all out. I’ve got you.” And Hope found that she truly believed her words. She didn’t blame Sans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was one rollercoaster ride of a chapter to write. Lots of things were learned.


	12. The author sucks at this updating thing

I hate to admit it, but I’ve reached a rough patch with this story. I’ve worked very hard to try to get the next chapter, but its not working out. Heres where I ask for your understanding once again.

Dare to Hope is on hiatus. Again.

I reached the spot where this story was orginaly going to end. Then I wrote two more chapters. And now it’s come to a grinding halt. I need to take a break from this to prepare more plot, decide a new ending, etc. I will try to update every once in a while, but it won’t be often, or regular. 

I will try not to be that person who only updates once every three months, but I can’t make any promises.

This is not the first fanfic I’ve written, but it will be the first I finish on my own. That I will promise.  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
In the meantime, I am going to start writing out a few oneshots. If you have a request/prompt, feel free to drop it in a comment. I’m going to be trying all sorts of stuff, pushing my limits as an author. I will not write smut, but other than that, please send me any ideas you can come up with.

(Please send in ideas! I’m not going to start a large story before Dare to Hope is done, but I really need to keep writing before I go insane.)


	13. Ch. 10: Dare to Hope

It took a long while for any of the trio to finally muster up the will to get up. Almost surprisingly, Sans was the first one to scoot off the bed. He turned back confused when he heard a small noise from Hope. She was covering a very red face.

 

“Frisk’s room was right next to this one. You should use some of their clothes.” Hope said, pointing in the direction of the room. A quick glance at his own clothes showed Sans that although they had survived his re-growth, the magic overload had torn them to shreds. He rushed out of the room, face blue.

 

Hope went to the living room to wait for Sans. She put a quiet Papyrus on the couch next to her.

 

“Can’t you talk now?” Hope asked gently.

 

“Hurts.”

 

Hope’s heart sank. “Oh Papyrus.” She muttered sadly, scooping him up and holding him close to her heart. She felt his chest hitch, and little wet spots on her chest. She brought her knees up and surrounded Papyrus, as if by doing so she could push away the pain.

 

It was like this that Sans found them. Hope curled up with Papyrus cradled in her hands, tears streaking down her face.

 

“What’s wrong?” Sans asked, concern in his now deep voice.

 

“His throat... He said it hurts to talk.” The lights in Sans’ eyes disappeared. He sighed, going to sit next to Hope. He leaned into her, placing his own hand over hers. She turned, shifting so that she was laying with Papyrus on her chest, and her head on Sans’ lap.

 

They were like that for a few minutes, then startled by banging on the door. Hope startled up, and Sans put a protective arm in front of her. The door was knocked down in moments.

 

Three men crowded into the house, guns raised. Sans’ eye lit up blue, and he flung bones at the men the moment that he realized that the guns were pointed at Hope.

 

He would not let her be hurt.

 

Two shots rung through the air, leaving holes in the walls behind him. His magic pinned the two that shot down within moments. The third had dropped his gun almost as soon as he had entered the house. The remaining man knocked the other two out with quick blows to the head, before hefting them onto his shoulders.

 

“If they think I’m going to just sit by while innocents are hurt, those higher ups sure have another thing coming to them.” He muttered as he dumped his colleagues outside, pulling out a phone and calling the cops. “Stinking murderers.”

 

When the man responded to dispatch, Sans sagged. He stumbled back to the couch, lifting the striped shirt he wore to reveal red oozing out of his lower rib.

 

“Heh. Looks like one of them grazed me. Sorry Hope. Looks like I won’t be around much longer.” Sans closed his eyes, pained.

 

“What do you mean?” Hope’s voice wavered. “It’s just a small graze.”

 

“I’ve always had low HP. And for a monster, that’s everything. Run outta HP, run outta life. And I’m out.” He sounded tired, looking up at Hope with tears at the edge of his eyes.

 

“N-no! We just got you back to normal! W-we were going be able to figure this out. I-I can’t lose you. I love you.” She would have hugged him, instead hovering her hands above him.

 

“Sans...” A small voice came from the couch. The sight of Papyrus sent a fresh pang through Hope’s heart. He looked like the world had been torn from underneath him. She gently picked him up, setting him on the ground by his dying brother’s knees.

 

It was too much. Sans had so much taken from him. And now his own life? No.  _ NO!  _ She would not accept it. She could not!

 

Sans looked up at her with amazement. “Your eyes... They are so bright.” He reached a hand up to touch her cheek. A soft magenta glow seemed to light his bones. In return, a soft red glow came from his chest.

 

Both souls were out, Hope’s a deep magenta, Sans’ shadowed by the red of the soul he had absorbed. When Sans noticed, his eye sockets widened. Then, slowly, the souls reached for each other.

 

Sans’ soul, edges fading as he started to turn to dust, was cradled by Hope’s. The magenta soul stayed there for a moment, before slowly fading back to Hope. It left behind a streak of color, filling a deep hole.

 

Sans looked up at Hope with astonishment. “You saved me. You  _ saved me. _ ”

 

She simply responded with a gentle hug. Her chest hitched with relieved tears. She placed her hand on his shoulders, before drawing him back a bit. She crashed her lips on his teeth with a relieved abandon. He was surprised at first, before relaxing into her. She pulled him back again, before holding him close to her chest like the most precious thing in the world.

 

“I don’t want to lose you.”

 

Words could barely describe the relief that the three felt.

 

Safe.

 

Safe. Alive.

 

The police came later. They were shocked to see Sans in all his full sized glory. However, they took their statements and left with the three men in tow, two arrested and one in protective custody.

 

Hope decided afterwards to go back to her apartment. She would feel safer there.

 

Sans sat in the passenger seat of the car, Papyrus on his lap and his hand in Hope’s when she didn’t need it to drive.

 

She made it to the couch before completely breaking down.

 

“Oh Hope... It’s alright.” Sans soothed, sitting next to her.

 

“Yeah...” She turned and buried her head into his chest, relaxing into him.

 

“I love you.” He said, stroking her hair.

 

“I love you too.” Sans’ breath hitched, and he wrapped his arms tighter around her.

 

“I guess, if it’s for you, I can Dare to Hope for a good future.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> READER’S NOTE: DAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW~Crza (go check out her stuff. I'm telling you, its good.)
> 
>  
> 
> That's it for Dare to Hope! Don't fret, there will be a book 2! Stay tuned for book 2 of Gaining Hope, A Hopeful Magic! See ya then, Tah Tah~

**Author's Note:**

> If I made you cry, then sorry. Don't worry, I was bawling when I wrote this.
> 
> My Tumblr: http://scarpathcat.tumblr.com/ Feel free to send asks and stuff.
> 
> I'd like to note that this **is not** in the bittybones AU. It has a few similarities, but not many. This is officially the Second Barrier AU.


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